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What’s this speed test for?

Like any Internet-based service, voice over IP (VoIP) requires bandwidth (the tech buzzword for Internet speed) to run. If it's too low or inconsistent, you’re not going to get a good VoIP connection no matter how good your provider is. The key is to test your Internet connection to ensure it is VoIP ready because 9 times out of 10 any problems with your voice calls will be caused by network congestion in your home, business, or Internet Service Provider.

Bandwidth is affected by a number of things. Whether you’re streaming a movie or playing online games, all of these things are competing for your VoIP connection. Loose wiring or bad connectors on your router or modem are also common problems. Testing your bandwidth is the first step to making sure it can handle the load and has the needed quality of service. It’s better to find out sooner than later, especially after investing in a VoIP service if you are suffering from low bandwidth or poor bandwidth quality.

Terms like KBps and Jitter are just the tip of the iceberg. You need to know how that speed and quality of connection can affect the way your voice is being transmitted as data. You also have to consider the number of data packets you’re going to send during a conversation. With this test, you can get a better idea of what kind of VoIP service your Internet connection can handle.

What else should I look for in an Internet connection?

Here are several more tech terms that you’ll find in this speed test (and others like it):

Jitter - As you can guess, this is one way to describe the stability and consistency of your Internet connection. Low jitter means less chance of a choppy, sloppy phone conversation.

RTT - This describes the speed as your connection goes from you to whomever you’re trying to connect with, also called Round Trip Time, Latency or Ping. Granted, there could also be problems on their end, but this way you can minimize the problems on your end.

Packet loss - This is similar to jitter. Gaps in a phone conversation are the result of packets of data being lost in the connection. The more things compete with your VoIP connection, the more data is being squeezed out in the struggle.

Consistency- Speed isn’t a static number. A high-speed Internet connection can still drop due to other unknown factors. Consistency or buffer bloat is the term used when you’re trying to figure out the other factors that could also be impacting your bandwidth (and to an extent, your VoIP service).

How do I understand the test results?

Understanding the above terms can help cover a lot about what you need to interpret your speed test results. These words are just different ways to describe how the data flows during your VoIP-powered phone conversation.

With that said, it’s advisable to use this speed test as part of even larger experiments to accurately pinpoint causes of undesirable test results. Obviously, the causes can be as numerous as they are varied. However, you can start to diagnose the problem by choosing whether your VoIP solution is a residential VoIP service or a business VoIP service:

Residential- Online games and video streaming aren’t just the only suspects. Sometimes different ISPs stream data differently, and according to what they think are popular uses for a household Internet connection. Interference can also take place outside the home. Plus, modems and routers can be other suspects.

Business - Much like households, a business VoIP connection might compete for bandwidth against other technologies. In some industries, it might compete with connections to a private server or cloud. The number of employees that use that service (and for what purpose) should also be considered.

What can I do about it?

Usually, troubleshooting your VoIP service can be simple by following a few easy steps. Try the following:

Run VoIP speed test - if your speed test results come back within an acceptable range, you should contact your VoIP provider as you’ve ruled out any problems in your connection by testing your speed to a third party.

If your speed test results are unsatisfactory, begin to note down all competitors for bandwidth - If you are using VoIP for your home or small business, you should figure out the different ways bandwidth is being consumed. It can act as a sort of checklist for your convenience. It can be as easy as ensuring that no one is downloading large files during peak hours. But if reducing your use doesn’t help to solve your issue, go to the next step.

Plug your device directly into the modem provided by your ISP - By doing so, you isolate your ISP from your home or small business network to determine if the issue is either your ISP or your own network.

If the speed test results come back unsatisfactorily, then the issue is likely with your ISP and you should contact them directly for support. On the other hand, if the speed test results are satisfactory, it points to your home or office network as being the potential culprit. If this is the case, please see the next step.

Plug your computer or laptop directly into the device upstream from your modem (usually your router) - Repeat the speed test. If the results are satisfactory you have eliminated your ISP and your router as potential problems and have isolated the network behind your router as the issue.

Trace the wiring from your router to the next device upstream, usually an Ethernet switch or hub - Plug in your device to this hub and re-run the speed test. If the test is satisfactory, then you’ve confirmed your problem does not lie in the hub but is instead something further upstream. Continue to work your way back through your network, running a speed test as you encounter each device or new cable segment in your network until you receive an unsatisfactory speed test result. By doing so, you will have isolated the issue as being between your last successful test and new unsatisfactory test result. Oftentimes, the fix will be replacing the Ethernet cable or piece of hardware between your last successful and subsequent unsuccessful test.

Consider using Google Public DNS or OpenDNS. DNS, or Domain Name System, is part of the application layer of Internet protocol and essentially "looks up" and pairs domain names with IP addresses. Google Public DNS is a free, global DNS resolution service, that you can use as an alternative to your current DNS provider. OpenDNS is nested under the Cisco umbrella and is another secure way to make your Internet faster and more reliable. Setting up and connecting to Google Public DNS or OpenDNS will require admin privileges on your computer, and will require you to manually specify the DNS servers you want to use as opposed to the DNS settings your computer automatically uses. Find out how to use Google Public DNS or how to use OpenDNS.